Can-top feeder.



G. E. PORRY. CAN TOP FEEDER. APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 16, 1912.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.!

WITNESSES INVENTOR m 1. 90 71 BY U J MW' a. WW

ATTORNEY can-Tor rnnnna.v

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. a, tort.

' Application filed December 16. 1912. Serial No. 736,974.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. FORRY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Top Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeder for feeding devices such as can tops. 7

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken plan view of my improved feeder; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section thereof; Fig. 3 is anend view.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a suitable table, to which is secured, by screws 2, side guides 3, upon which are secured, by screws 4, pairs of brackets 5, extending inwardly from said guides 3, and thereby forming, with the uppen surface of the table, slideways for a slidepiece 6. To said brackets are secured, by screws 7, lower cut-away portions of cylindrical posts 8, four in number.

Said side guides are formed on their inner or opposing surfaces with beveled horizontal grooves 9, wherein is guided the slidepiece 6 which acts as delivery means for. the can tops. Motion is communicated to said slidepiece by means of a vertical rod" 11, the upper end of which is secured to said slidepiece, and which passes through a longitudinal slot 12 in the table. The lower end of said rod is pivoted to an end of a pitman 1d, whose other end is pivotally connected to an end of a crank shaft 16 secured to a downwardly extending sleeve 17 formed integral with a pinion 18 and rigidly secured. to a vertical shaft 19 rotatable in a bearing 21 depending from the table, said pinion 18 meshing with a gear wheel 22 mounted on a vertical shaft 23 extending above the table, and having secured thereto a feeder 26, having. arms 27, the forward sides of which are concave. Rotation is imparted .to said shaft 23 by the engagement of said gear wheel 22 with any suitable source of power. By the rotation of said shaft 23 the shaft 19 is also rotated, and hence the slidepiece 6 .is reciprocated horizontally in the grooves 9 in the side guides 33. To said slidepiece are secured, by screws 28 on o posite sides thereof, two parallel bars 29, t e inner or o posing surfaces of which are formed with orizontal ledges 31, upon which the lowermost one of a pile of can tops, shown at 32, fed down between the four posts 8, is supported, when the slidepiece 1s in the position nearest to the feeder. The upper surfaces of the inner end portions of the ledges 31 are sloped downwardly, the inner terminals merging with the upper face of the slide 6, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

There are formed on the inner or opposing side faces of the bars 29, above the ledges 31, projecting ribs 33, the lower surface of each rib sloping downwardly parallel with, and at a uniform distance from, the upper surface of the rear sloping end portion of the corresponding ledge 31, said distance being slightly greater than the thickness of a can top. The forward end of each rib is brought to a sharp edge, and said edges are oblique to the direction of reciprocation of said slidepiece and inclined in ward toward one another.

The inner end of the slide 6 is provided slidepiece begins to move from its position nearest the feeder, these oblique forward edges of the ribs pass between the lowermost can top and can tops above it, which are held stationary by the posts 8, and the edge of the lowermost can top is thus forced into the grooves 34 between the ledges 31 and ribs 331 of the two bars, and as the movement of the slidepiece from the feeder continues, the lowermost can top is more and more depressed by said grooves 34, until, finally, when the slidepiece arrives at its position farthest from the feeder, then the concave recess 36 in the slidepiece is beneath the lowermost can top, and the latter is now no longer upheld by said ledges, and falls into said recess, while the can tops above it, are upheld by the upper surfaces of the ribs 33. The slidepiece now commences its backward stroke, toward the feeder, and moves with it the can top which is in the recess, and, by the time said can top has arrived at the extreme position on the ri ht, the feeder has rotated into such a position that one of its arms 27 fits closely against said can top. On the next movement of the slidepiece from the feeder, since the can top rests upon the table only, and is no way clamped or held by the slidepiece, it is free to be acted upon by the arm in the rotary movement of the feeder, and is carried along by the said arm 27 in a circular path with the outer edge of the can top guided by a circular wall 37 rising from the table 1. The operation is now repeated with anoth r can top.

I claim 1. In a can top feeder, the combination 0 a holder for holding a stack of can tops and a reciprocating slide underneath the open bottom of the said holder, the said slide having a fixed seat for the lowermost can top to rest on and the said slide having fixed thereon a separating means adapted to pass between the said lowermost can top and the next following one above to separate the lowermost can top from the stack, the said separating means forming with the said seat a guideway for the separated can top, to move the latter downward'during the movement of the slide in one direction and while the said lowermost can top is held against lateral movement by the said holder.

2. In a can top feeder, the combination of a holder for holding a stack: of can tops,

the holder being open at the bottom, a slide reciprocating immediately below the said open bottom of the holder, ledges on the tops of the said slide and forming a hori zontal seat for the lowermost can top at the time the said slide is in innermost position,

the said ledges having inward extensions,

the upper surfaces of which slope inward and downward, ribs on the said slide and having the under faces forming grooves with the said sloping upper faces of the ledges, the forward ends of the said ribs having sharp edges terminating at the inner ends of the horizontal seat formed by the said ledges and adapted to pass between the seated lowermost can top and the next following one above at the time the slide is moved outward to support the said next and to be moved gradually downward guided by the said holder. 4

8. In a can top feeder, the combination of a can top guide for holding a stack of can tops, the lower end of the said guide being open, a table provided with guideways', a. slideinounted to reciprocate in the said guideways and provided at the inner end with a recess, side bars on the said slide and having oppositely-disposed ledges forming a seat for the lowermost can top of the said stack of can tops, the said ledges having the upper surfaces-of their inner end portions sloping downwardly and merging with the upper face of the said slide at the said recessed end, oppositely-disposed ribs on the said side bars and having their under surfaces forming guide grooves with thesaid sloping end portions of the ledges, the outer ends of the said ribs having sharp edges to pass between the bottom can top and the next following one above, the inner ends of the said ribs projecting beyond the inner ends of the said ledges, and means for imparting a reciprocating motion to the said slide. r

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. FORRY.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT,

D. B. RICHARDS.

following can top and to cause the lowermost can top to pass into the said groove. 

